Every two years the Whitney holds its Biennial, a reason for everyone to complain about the skill of the curators at the Whitney, the state of American Contemporary Art, or (usually) both. For the 2004 Biennial, the Whitney decided to let visitors save their 12 USD admission price and see seven contemporary art installations scattered throughout the eastern side of New York City's Central Park. Most of the projects will stay on view through the end of May 2004.
 

 

 

Daddies Bighead
(2003) Paul McCarthy
At the Lasker Ice Rink/Swimming Pool, overlooking the Harlem Meer

Fresh from its high profile Bankside view at the Tate Modern in London, Daddies Bighead is a mostly ignored big head hanging out at a (temporarily) abandoned ice rink/swimming pool, too late to skate and too early to swim.

 

Untitled (Swallow) and Untitled (Blue Jay)
(2002) David Altmejd
At the Andrew Haswell Green Memorial Bench, near the Harlem Meer

Not that far from the giant pink inflatable head are two more heads, this time they're giant, decomposing animal heads in giant plexiglas boxes. Described in the Whitney's accompanying brochure as exploring "notions of attraction and repulsion," they seem to excel in repulsion, if they're even noticed at all.

 

Garden 10
(2004) assume vivid astro focus
On the Mall near the Sheep Meadow

Far and away the most user friendly of the interventions in the Park this time is Garden 10. With dance music blaring, all those people on roller blades normally attracted to that part of the park soon find themselves happily circling on a colorful racetrack, all the time not realizing it was any way associated with the often hated Biennial.

 

Narcissus Garden
(2004) Yayoi Kusama
Conservancy Water, near E 72 St and 5 Av

Floating in the pond with all the remote control model sailboats (and confusing the hell out of all of the kids) are a few hundred shiny metal balls, contained in a circular border but all pushed to one side due to the prevailing currents.

 

The Weight of Dead Prey
(2004) Olaf Westphalen
Outside the South Entrance to the Central Park Zoo

Maybe a realistic (enough) looking tiger shouldn't have been placed so close to the Central Park Zoo.

 

MJBH
(2002) Paul McCarthy
At the Southeast Corner of Central Park

Paul McCarthy's other Central Park sculpture is MJBH, an abbreviation for "Michael Jackson's Big Head," according to the Whitney brochure. It is supposed to be an abstraction of another sculpture, Michael Jackson and Bubbles by Jeff Koons from 1988. Still, even a sculpture of Michael Jackson's big head isn't enough to distract anyone trying to frame that perfect picture of the Plaza Hotel across the street.

 

The Spare
(2003/2004) Liz Craft
At the Southeast Corner of Central Park

Almost a tripping hazard, three groups of cactus sculptures in tires disppear into the street scene and somehow looking like they've (probably) always been there.
 
 
     
 
  Now at ArBITAT       Recommended  
               

 
 
Delirious New York
by Rem Koolhaas
(1994) Monacelli Press
     
 

 

An insightful and important book about everything (planned and unplanned) that makes New York City what it is...
(read more)
 
 

See more recommended books at books.ArBITAT.com